The Delhi high court has taken a serious view of media reports disclosing the identity of the two-year-old girl, admitted in AIIMS in a critical condition in January, and that of the teenaged girl who took her to hospital and has directed the government to form a committee to frame guidelines for media reporting during such cases in future.
The bench of acting chief justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said the committee will comprise of the presiding officer of the Juvenile Justice Board, a member from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), officials from the Delhi and Central governments besides representatives from the media, a NGO and the Press Council.
The bench directed the committee to deliberate on the issue and file a preliminary report before it by March 7. The court also sought the response of the Centre and the city government by that day.
The court took suo motu cognisance of a letter, written by an advocate to the Chief Justice, saying the disclosure of the identity of the victim and the other minor girl in media reports was in violation of Juvenile Justices Act. “Media reporting has sensationalised the life of both the children in a way and to such an extent that these children will never be able to get away from the memories of this time… India being the signatory to United Nations’ Convention on Child Rights, is under obligation to ensure protection of law against any unlawful intervention into the privacy of a child or any attack on child’s honour,” the letter said. The 15-year-old girl who had taken the child to the hospital is also a victim of abuse.